


Stumble and fall!

by Claire07



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-01 19:50:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15150575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire07/pseuds/Claire07
Summary: How they could have got together.....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Background Info!
> 
> Bernie and Serena remain the best of friends since their shared kiss on the floor, both agreeing to leave it in the theatre!
> 
> There is still a trauma unit.
> 
> Elinor has died in a car accident due to drugs and Jason is living with Greta.
> 
> Bernie never left to go to the Ukraine and Jason did not lock them in their office.
> 
> They still shared stolen glances and drinks at Albies…..but strictly in the friends zone…..until………

It started off as a normal day on AAU, Bernie, Serena, Fletch and Donna were all working together in the relative calm as there was no red phone or many patients that morning.  
That was until just after lunch Serena’s friend and troublemaker turns up on the ward from A&E! Sian had butt implants that had got infected, she had collapsed with a high fever in the middle of town, when she finally came around she was ordering the staff in A&E to send her straight up to Ms Campbell on AAU!   
They did just that; mainly for the peace and quiet!

“Serena darling” came her screech across the ward, Bernie looked between the two of them as Serena seemed to scowl at her voice; but quickly changed it to surprise as she was approaching her friend.

“Why are you here Sian?…..hmmm?……What have you done to yourself this time……come on sit up for me!” Serena said trying to be friendly and not exasperated.

“Darling I can’t sit at the moment, my newly perky bottom has got infected from the surgery I had 2 weeks ago!” Sian stated happily - Sian was always perky to the annoyance of Serena.

Serena closes the curtains and starts to pull down the covers to see the infected area….. “Serena darling you are being forward today……you normally need a glass of shiraz before you accost me!”

Serena scowls at her “SIAN!” She admonishes her; Sian laughs and continues to wind her good friend up.

“Anyway I thought you had gone off women! Or is it one particular woman?” Sian jokingly says not realising Bernie is the other side of the curtain listening.   
Serena hears Bernie’s sharp intake of breath and mutterings, “I will be back in a minute” she says to Sian; as she goes to speak to Bernie, knowing that the statement made was about her.  
But Bernie is now nowhere to be seen!  
“Have you seen Bernie?” Serena asked fletch who pointed to the ceiling, “She is a bit upset, but I don’t know why!” He states.  
“I will go, look after Sian please” as she reels off the bloods that she needs and “oh contact the private surgery where she had them done!” Fletch nods and heads straight to Sian.

She quietly goes through the door to the roof, she spots a sullen Bernie sitting on the metal steps wiping her face. “Bernie” Serena whispers and Bernie just shakes her head and then lowers it into her hands.  
“Bernie I am sorry about Sian!” She continues walking towards her.  
“She doesn’t mean anything by it……..we haven’t…..” It was at this point a teary Bernie looks at her.

“Serena” she whispers back looking at her for a second before placing her face back in her hands.   
Serena kneels down in front of her and places her hands gently on Bernies wrists to let her know she is there; she waits for Bernie to say something to her but it doesn’t come.

“Bernie…..why has it upset you so much…..you can talk to me……we are best friends……aren’t we?” Serena asks gently rubbing her thumb over the pulse point of Bernies wrists.

Bernie lets out a large sigh “In there lies the problem Serena!”

Serena looks puzzled “whats the problem Bernie? I thought that we were best friends?”  
Bernie goes to stand up but Serena pulls her back down waiting for her to explain. “I love you Serena, don’t you see it?” Bernie says trying not to sob.

“And I love you Bernie…..I do!” Serena replies as if it is the easiest thing in the world to say.

“No Serena, I am in love with you…..there is a difference!” Bernie is now shouting at her then turns away and storms off back to the ward.

Serena stands there dumbfounded! She can’t move for her best friend has just declared that she is in love with her!  
When Bernie arrives back on the ward after washing her face, she is called over by fletch with Sians test results back…… “She needs to go to theatre now!” Bernie states “Page Ms Campbell please.” As she starts to take Sian down into theatre.

“Have I done something to upset you Ms Wolfe?” Sian asks, clearly not knowing who Bernie is!

“No Ms Korrs, and call me Bernie…..please. You are a friend of Ms Campbells after all.” She replies dryly, trying not to let her broken heart show.

“You…..you are Bernie?…….as in Major Bernice Wolfe?” Sian stammers knowing she must of overheard her teasing Serena.

“The very same” Bernies reply again dryly.

“Oh I think we need to have a private chat then! That will be before you put me under too! Otherwise no-one will operate on me!” Sian states knowing she has upset her friend and the person that she suspects she loves.

Bernie gets everyone to wait outside and Sian insists that Serena is not to enter until she has spoken to Bernie.

“I need to apologise to you Ms Wolfe!” Bernie starts to shake her head and wave her arms in response when Sian holds her hand; “I need to explain a few things to you too!” Bernie is now perplexed.  
“I suspect that you and Serena haven’t spoken about your kiss in here have you……well since the following day!” Sian asks looking Bernie straight in the eye.

Bernie flushes a deep shade of red and shakes her head “No…..no we haven’t”

“She hasn’t told you how she really feels then?” Sian asks.

“I know I made her feel uncomfortable, I know that she is very straight!” Bernie states before being cut off by a laugh from Sian.

“Serena isn’t as straight as you think Bernie…..I should know!….” Bernie looks at her puzzled “No not with me…….we haven’t…….I say those things to get a rise out of her…….but she has always been interested in women ……but is scared to go there.” Sian explains. “Serena has feelings for you and I know this by her constantly talking about what you have done, your kids, your late night drinks at Albies…..etc…..need I go on?”  
Bernie shakes her head and sits down to try and form a response. “I love her too……I just declared it to her on the roof! But she doesn’t feel the same Sian, I can assure you on that one…..we are strictly in the friends box!”

“We shall see then……I will stay with Serena for a few days, not that she knows it yet!” Bernie chuckles “come over tomorrow, we can have drinks, I can get to know you more and we can all have a Chinese and drink wine together!” Sian requests with her eyelashes fluttering; Bernie doesn’t have the heart to say no to her.  
“Oh and keep this between us…yes major?” She winks as Bernie nods and allows the other staff to come back in the theatre.  
Serena throws her a silent questioning look; Bernie just smiles and nods at her.

The surgery took longer than expected and Bernie left straight afterwards, she didn’t want any awkwardness between Serena and herself, that would come tomorrow when she goes for tea. Serena stays with Sian until she wakes up after the surgery; once she was settled she leaves too, knowing that she would have to look after her friend for a few days at least, not that she really minded……someone to talk to after in her lonely house.

Bernie was off the following day and ignored the flurry of text messages from Serena; asking if they were ok! The radio silence was killing Serena…..she needed to know that her treasured friendship with Bernie was still ok.

She started her ward rounds and stopped to chat a little with Sian.  
“Can I ask you something Serena?” Sian quietly asks, which is unusual for her friend. Serena nods, “If you love her, why don’t you just tell her?”   
Serena sits there amazed by her friends brashness.  
“She declared her love for you yesterday, and since then you have not told her how you feel! I know you love her, you are looking for or at her all of the time, it is her you are texting too isn’t it? Sian asks with no criticism in her voice, just concern.

“I told her yesterday that I loved her” Serena whispered with tears in her eyes.

“That is not the same is it Serena…..you love me but that is different to how you feel about Bernie! Yes?” Serena nods in response “You fool! What are you scared of? You have a woman who is in love with you…….you too are in love with her and you won’t do anything about it because you are scared!” Sian is getting irate with her friend now. “Do you know I wish deep down that I had that connection with someone! That someone would love me like that, to keep their distance because she thinks that is what you want, that your friendship means more to her than her broken heart?”

Serena is now crying “She isn’t talking to me Sian……what am I going to do?”  
“Finish your shift, take me home and we will talk more……yes?” Serena nods knowing that her friend is right. She does not text Bernie again during her shift. Her plan is to call around later or tomorrow.

Bernie turns up at Serena’s as agreed with by Sian at 7pm. Sian had ordered a ridiculous amount of food and Bernie told her what she liked yesterday. Serena hugged Bernie awkwardly and invited her in after she told her about Sian inviting her yesterday before the surgery.

The conversation was stilted throughout their meal. They ate outside; Sian was lying on her front on a sun lounger in the garden while Bernie and Serena shared a picnic blanket as the sun was still warm and bright on the summers day.

Sian requested a drink and Bernie offered to go and get them all one, she needed a little bit breathing of space too! When she returned she completely missed one of the last steps down to the grass and went flying!   
The tray with the glasses of wine on flew over to the left of Sian missing her by millimetres, Bernie landed virtually on top of Serena!  
Bernie’s knees were straddling Serena’s pelvis, her arms were either side of Serena’s head and their noses were near enough touching. They looked at each other, gazing into their eyes.  
Serena lifted her lips to Bernie’s a small peck, Bernie didn’t respond, so Serena did it again………still no kiss back, just looking at her deeply.

“Kiss me Bernie” Serena whispered.

Bernie nodded and kissed her so gently and chastely, she poured the love she felt for Serena into this one kiss; and Serena did the same back.  
Serena wrapped her arms around her back then tangled her fingers in Bernie’s soft wavy hair. Bernie grabbed Serena by the waist with one hand and the other barely touching her jaw.

“I love you too Bernie…….I am in love with you, I have been since we last kissed all those months ago!” Serena declared while ghosting Bernies lips.

“And I am in love with you too Serena.” Bernie declared back.


	2. interruptions and panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sian makes her way out and Bernie makes her way in!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy xx

Their kissing went from chaste to passionate within about 10 minutes, forgetting that they had an audience - who quiet frankly was very pleased with herself.   
“Ladies……..erm ladies!” Sian quietly says then coughs. Neither Bernie or Serena pay any attention or they can’t hear her through their loud heartbeats that seem to beat in time with each other!“Serena darling…….you know how much I love to watch porn, especially when I can’t get any myself………” Sian purrs.

This gets Serena’s attention; she looks at her friend trying to focus her hazy sight, Bernie is going a darker shade of red, looking only at the woman beneath her, not so much with embarrassment……with arousal! She finally got her best friend and her dream woman to tell her how she feels, that she loves her…..Serena loves her like; Bernie has always loved Serena.

Bernie pulls back and Serena grabs her back down to start kissing again….. “Don’t stop Bernie….I have waited far to long to kiss you again!” Serena demands against her lips. Bernie kisses her again deeply, allowing her access to swipe her tongue against Serena’s; tasting the wine and the Chinese they enjoyed so much.

Sian just looked on at them, she made no effort to move; she knows how much Serena loved Bernie, even if she wasn’t willing for Serena to accept it! She was worried that it would ruin their friendship that was nearly lost the last time they kissed!

“I think you need to take this to bed Serena……as much as I am loving the view of you two making out…..the neighbours may think otherwise, and my taxi will be here” Sian was interrupted by the honking of the taxi that had just arrived! Thank god for Uber, ordered via the app, so she didn’t have to move.

Bernie moved off Serena so they could help Sian to get up herself and escort her out to her awaiting taxi; She hugged them both and congratulated them on finally being together - not that they had discussed it or anything yet! And left her friends to hopefully take off where they were before they were disturbed, on the grass.

No sooner had she left Serena wrapped her arms around Bernie’s waist and looked at her shyly. Thinking about what they were possibly going to do next……the kiss was a result of an accident really…..just happened that Bernie fell directly on top of Serena, the person she has loved since meeting outside the hospital where she was shouting at the mechanic down the phone.   
Neither of them have moved from just outside the front door; no words said and neither of them making the next move.

It is only when Serena’s next door neighbour shouts hello to them, that they are brought back from their thoughts. Serena grasps Bernie’s hand and waves to her neighbour, then takes her back to the garden where they sit in each others arms until the sun has fully set and the dim light of the moon shining through the thick clouds; its the cool breeze that eventually brings them back inside.  
The silence is comforting but in the same instance adding fuel to their lust! 

Bernie makes to leave when Serena stops her “Stay please Bernie……Stay.”   
Bernie nods as they lock up and switch off the lights downstairs and head up to the bedrooms; She was about to enter the place where she would usually stay when she was too tipsy to go home; When Serena kisses her, her hands wrapped in her hair holding her in place. Bernie places her hands on her arse pulling her closer, her legs in between Serena’s, rolling their hips in unison, moaning in each others mouth……Serena is guiding her into her own room when all of a sudden Bernie releases all contact with fear in her eyes.

“I can’t Serena” Bernie says with tears in her eyes.

“Can’t what Bernie?….. Make love to me?…….. Kiss me again?……. Be in a relationship with me?…….. Or be in love with me?” Serena asks scared to know her answer.

Bernie steps forward and holds Serena’s face in her hands lightly gazing in her eyes “I have always loved you!……..I am completely in love with you Serena, never doubt that!……I do want to be in a relationship with you, but do you want that with me?……..Do you know what you want?” Tears now falling down her cheek.

Serena wipes her tears away and places a gentle kiss either side of her cheek, “Yes to both you numpty……..of course I am IN love with you…. And as regarding the relationship, we have really been in one for months, we have just been not having any sexual contact with each other……..the flirting, ….. the light touches, ….. the way we look at each other around the ward and Albie’s …… That was our courtship Bernie……I was just waiting for you …. to be sure it was me that you wanted!”  
Bernie let out a huge sigh and the biggest smile; She leant forward and put all of her feelings into another passionate kiss, closing the door behind them with her foot.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you want this to continue?  
> I could just leave it here xx


End file.
